5th Sunday of Ordinary Times

The first reading and the Gospel describe two vocations, that of Isaiah, chosen as prophet, the recipient of a terrifying vision, and that of the Apostles, transformed by Christ into “fishers of men”. When Isaiah first heard the call of the Lord, he became aware of his frailty. How could his impure lips speak in the name of God? Peter when called by Jesus to be a “fisher of men”, like Isaiah felt unworthy. And yet God chose them for his mission. We are called by God to be prophets like Isaiah and “fishers of men” like Peter. Have we forgotten that God will purify us and will do wonderful things through us?

           In the second reading we have other examples of people chosen for missions. They are the witnesses to the resurrection of Christ. St. Paul encounters the Lord, his master, and because of that experience becomes more, or transformed. Like Isaiah and Peter, Paul feels unworthy of the vocation he received from God. He calls himself imperfect and unworthy of being called Apostle. But in spite of being a sinner, Paul became a great announcer of the Gospel.

           In all three readings for this Sunday there is self-knowledge, an encounter with divinity and a transformation in Isaiah, Paul and Simon Peter for the greater glory of God’s kingdom. When you focus on problems, you get more problems. When you focus on possibilities, you have more opportunities. Thomas Merton once said, “There is only one problem on which all my existence, my peace and my happiness depend: to discover myself in discovering God.” Always believe in God’s plan. What hurts you today makes you strong tomorrow, never lose hope. You never know what tomorrow may bring.